Affinity 8.6

My husband bought me 'my first kayak.' It was one of the lightest, yet robust available. I'm only a weekend recreational user in still water so it suits me fine. There is also front and rear storage areas with bungy cords for tie down. Easy to maneuver with a wide cavity and a conveniently located drinks holder. It is more than I expected. However the seat is not padded so it can get uncomfortable after a while so I added my own favourite foam seat which is better than others that are fitted. All in all, more bang for your buck.

Bought 4 seasons ago so probably 2014. Of all my kayaks: I keep going back to this one: fits IN crv. quoted: 39lbs from factory website. takes 240lbs. but I've loaded near 300lb with gear. Drag it, sent it down a cliff a few times to shore (not kidding) cut holes in top-front and back with jigsaw for “Gamma2” 15lb HDPE screw top & rubber ring seal, petfood storage. While the holes were open: added to car size, real tire tubes for floatation. Last year broke drain plug, generic one from amazon was 2-for-$6.99. Very very happy, only use long pointy yak when my dick friends want to be speedy and linear. This is a slow but Very stable boat. Mahalo.

My wife bought my Affinity for an early Father's Day present. I was SOO Excited. A week later I found a yellow one for her and we have gone out 4 times already. We love kayaking and we love our Clearwaters. She purchased mine at our local TJ Maxx for $169 and I got hers at another TJ Maxx for the same price. My wife had researched them before she bought mine and found many good reviews. Since we are new to kayaking, we didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on something that we might not enjoy. We made a good decision on these kayaks and on kayaking in general. WE LOVE IT! The Affinity 8.6 are great "Starter" kayaks. They maneuver easily and feel very stable. I will say that the seat is a little uncomfortable after a few hours so I will probably look for a replacement seat but I can't complain too much. Being on the water is truly relaxing.

I purchased two of these kayaks from TJ Maxx for $169 each. I had ALMOST paid nearly twice as much for another brand, but at the last minute a friend told me about this deal. Since my daughter and I are new to kayaking we decided to go for these as "Starter" kayaks. They are perfect for our needs. Maneuver easily, and feel very stable. The only thing I don't like about them is the seat, my back hurts after a couple hours of paddling, so I am going to look for a replacement seat. Other than that, very pleased with them.

AWESOME beginner kayak. Installed 2 rear rod holder and a Scotty rod holder on the front. Very stable and treads well. $169.00 you can't beat the price.

I'm extremely happy with my Clearwater Affinity 8.6! This is my 1st kayak. As I started having knee issues just this year, I actually appreciate the wider opening. I do only flat water with slight current to level 1 waters but it's very stable! A little sluggish but its b/c its a wider body.
Very easy to transport - I literally lift it straight into my minivan! I think for the price, it was definitely a perfect choice!

Bought this kayak recently for my wife, who proved to be too small to fit comfortably in it. foot braces would not adjust closely enough for her 5'4" frame. Also, seat was atrocious.
Having said all that, I feel quite fortunate to have bought the boat ($170 at TJ Maxx). That's because I inherited it. I am an avid recreational paddler, occasional whitewater (2-3) on the Potomac River outside DC, and own five other kayaks. I would not suggest that level of whitewater with the Affinity ONLY because it lacks a good lip for a spray skirt. The cockpit is huge and somewhat square, making a skirt impracticable, even if there is one big enough. everything else about the boat, though, is great! with a new seat (Hudson Trail outfitters - $60), this boat has gone ALL over the Potomac this summer. It is resilient, surfs well (again, class 1-1.5 only so far), turns well and tracks well. It is very comfortable, extremely stable and fairly light to carry.
Nice job, clearwater.

Just purchased this Affinity kayak by Clearwater Leisure. I like the fact that it is very portable and is very well made for the price ($169+ tax). I think that it's wide beam makes it very stable and will be good for the kids.

Fantastic starter kayak! I turned it over to my 13 year old and in calm water it is super stable. When paddling it is not always straight or easy to control in a current but on calm water it performs like nominal

basic good design except for the minor leakage where the handles are attached.......however the stop plugs on the footrests were not properly installed..I could not slide the footrest..... so that I had to demount the footrest slide bar from the hull..not easy...MOST annoying was that my Email asking for help was IGNORED

I purchased this kayak because I needed something light to carry over to the lake. This fit the bill perfectly. The water was a bit choppy when I started and this little boat handled like a champ. I even guided it through a heavy water lilly infested area to fetch a piece of drift wood. I only gave it an 8 because at 5'2" my feet could not reach the food rests.

I bought this Kayak on sale for $200. It wasn't the one i went looking for but i decided to get it because i needed a new one and didn't want to spend too much.

The pros: It's incredibly light. I'm used to an old fiberglass hand me down that was incredibly heavy and bulky. This Affinity is so light i can carry it with one hand. It's also pretty stable for such a short kayak. I took it out on the Raritan Bay and even though it got really choppy in some places, the kayak never let me down.

Features: small drain on the back for easy draining. small cargo area in back with bungies crossing it. padded seat back. most importantly, a cup holder at the front of the seat.

definitely the perfect beginner kayak, i love its simple spartan design lacking all he silly bells and whistles of pricier models